Hot Mastectomy Swimwear, by a Designer Who Understands

We are excited to welcome a guest post from Clover Lewis. Clover is an inspiration to women with breast cancer around the world. As a young survivor, her post-cancer difficulties with finding a “hot bikini” led her to use her abilities as a costume designer and trained artist to create a beautiful line of mastectomy swimwear. But not only that, she is a patron, ambassador, patient advocate and campaigner for several breast cancer charities. Here she shares her story and well-informed thoughts on mastectomy swimwear . . . 

As women, we are quite creative in finding something that can shake our confidence on the beach.

I hear you, thinking about your body in a bathing suit . . .

“I hate those extra pounds I put on during chemo”

“Still got baby fat remaining after the tiny miracle that appeared in my life lately”

“First beach holiday with my new partner! What will he think?”

“My big breasts!”

“My missing breast . . . “

“Eugh, My fat bum!”

“My skinny legs!”

“Will I look ok?”

So before the event, we prepare. Some of us go to the gym, others start a diet or book a holiday. Then we buy essentials:  sunscreen, towel, beach bag, hat, and of course, the perfect swimsuit.

I’ve always found it challenging to find a bikini or swimsuit that would make me feel great. It was all about design, quality, and style that covered my flaws and showed my beauty.

It was 2010. I was young, I was healthy, and breast cancer was totally unexpected. While dealing with the trauma of cancer treatment as graciously as I could, I longed to go to a far-flung beach, lay on a sun lounger, and put the whole experience behind me, even if for a short while. In fact, I wanted to take the fantasy even further and promised myself that when I had recovered enough strength after my mastectomy, I would go on holiday to Bali – to learn how to scuba dive!

Clover Lewis, Designer & CEO of Clover Lewis Swimwear. ©Clover Lewis Ltd

My search for mastectomy swimwear to wear on the beach for this important holiday (and while scuba diving if I didn’t lose my nerve!) brought an unfortunate reality. Of the limited collections of pocketed bikinis and swimsuits available from mastectomy specialists’ shops, high street stores, and online, none of them suited me. Here I was, a young woman used to wearing beautiful, fashionable swimwear, forced to choose from swimwear made for post surgery comfort, yet far too conservative in design. Simply put, too much available then was plain and ugly.

But let’s start with the basics: What exactly is mastectomy swimwear in the first place?

In a nutshell, mastectomy bathing costumes (also known as post surgery swimwear) are swimwear which has been specially designed for women who have undergone a range of breast surgeries that caused some degree of scarring and asymmetry.

After breast surgery, some women choose to conceal the removed breast tissue. They recreate a breast shape using one or two mastectomy prosthesis for swimming (aka breast forms – see below)  placed into specially-designed pockets of the mastectomy swimsuit or bikini. This helps them feel more confident in their mastectomy swimwear knowing their post-surgical chest looks and feels symmetrical.

Other women choose not to wear breast forms, preferring the freedom of ‘going flat and fabulous’ in their swimwear! Ultimately, this a matter of personal choice.

One in five breast cancers (20%) are now diagnosed in women aged under 50.  Sadly, this isn’t currently reflected in the post surgery swimwear options the same women encounter. I struggled to find a hot bikini that looked like something I would have worn before my diagnosis and included the comfort I needed after breast surgery.

I started speaking with other women who had breast surgery or preventative mastectomies in person and online forums, asking where they bought their swimwear. We shared our mutual disappointment when seeking youthful, fashionable swimwear and coming away empty-handed. A few shared making do with plain, fit-for-purpose mastectomy swimwear, which made them feel ancient.

What I found really upsetting was listening to women with mastectomy refusing to go on much-needed holidays or trips to the spa or pool. They spoke of feeling ashamed of their bodies when trying to see if they could get away wearing their existing swimwear, to find that it was too low cut under the arms or neckline, leaving their scars or their prosthesis showing.

There are services out there which offer to sew breast form pockets into regular swimwear. This is a good temporary, low-cost fix, but once wet, these adapted swimsuits are more likely to sag and lose symmetry and reveal.

My sheer frustration with my swimwear search motivated me to make my first pocketed bikini for my holiday!

I combined my experience, research, and design background to create it, And it was such a positive feeling to have the confidence to walk down the beach in that bikini – and go on to earn my PADI open water diving certificate!